


Blood ties

by NatalieRyan



Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Blood, Cuddling, Day 16, Gen, Jack takes care of him, Mac gets a nosebleed, Nosebleed, Whump, Whumptober 2020, warm and soft clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27049225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieRyan/pseuds/NatalieRyan
Summary: How are we on day 16 already? Hoo boy, we are already halfway through the month and with stories (panics in author because she only has 19 stories ready... working on the rest).Mac gets a nosebleed in the story for today. What Mac experiences is largely what I experienced last year when I had a massive nosebleed while I was working. If you see anything confusing about how Mac feels/thinks it's drawn from my own experience and how I felt and what I have thought of in those moments. Sadly, I wasn't sent home after the nosebleed stopped (and learned only few weeks ago that here it was in the law that you have to let people go home for the rest of the day to rest if they had a nosebleed), so I made sure Mac got to go home and Jack with him.As always huge thanks go to SabbyStarlight that cheered me on going with the idea when I scrambled during the planning for Whumptober. And as always to Thistle for betaing the story and for the title. I really appreciate that. A lot.
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948579
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Blood ties

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SabbyStarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabbyStarlight/gifts), [N1ghtshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/N1ghtshade/gifts).



> How are we on day 16 already? Hoo boy, we are already halfway through the month and with stories (panics in author because she only has 19 stories ready... working on the rest).   
> Mac gets a nosebleed in the story for today. What Mac experiences is largely what I experienced last year when I had a massive nosebleed while I was working. If you see anything confusing about how Mac feels/thinks it's drawn from my own experience and how I felt and what I have thought of in those moments. Sadly, I wasn't sent home after the nosebleed stopped (and learned only few weeks ago that here it was in the law that you have to let people go home for the rest of the day to rest if they had a nosebleed), so I made sure Mac got to go home and Jack with him.   
> As always huge thanks go to SabbyStarlight that cheered me on going with the idea when I scrambled during the planning for Whumptober. And as always to Thistle for betaing the story and for the title. I really appreciate that. A lot.

Mac was working in the lab when it happened. One moment he was rewiring the new version of Sparky and in the next there was a tiny droplet of blood that fell on his pants.

He didn't know where it came from, didn't remember if he cut his finger or something. When it happened again, Mac wondered what caused it. Strangely he didn't remember getting hurt recently, a wound that could warrant bleeding. 

It was only when Jill asked him if he was okay and her squeaking in shock and panic when he realized that he was bleeding from the nose.

Luckily Mac was always prepared, and he pulled a tissue from his lab coat pocket. With Jill's help he went to the infirmary, already feeling lightheaded. 

Jill was worried, Mac could tell, but she shouldn't have been. It was only a small amount of blood droplets and he wouldn't even consider going to Medical for it if it wasn't to ease her mind. 

Mac wondered if he should have asked her to call Jack. His partner was going to flip when he found out, that was for sure. Mac didn't know what was better. To call Jack after he was checked out or ask Jill to send a message in his name. 

Jill escorted him to the door and thankfully Doctor Holman was on shift. She liked Mac very much and always chastised him when Mac came to her with small injuries that could have been prevented, but Mac was usually too distracted to notice he was hurt. 

Doctor Holman told Jill to wait outside until she was done with Mac and Mac nodded in assent. 

Jill was still uncertain and looked from Mac to the doctor like she needed a further confirmation from someone that wasn't there. 

“Should I call Jack and tell him about this?” 

_ Oh, so that's why she was so on edge _ , Mac mused. 

“I don't think that this requires Mr. Dalton's presence but if Mr. MacGyver agrees, I think you could.”

Mac was torn between saying yes and no. He wanted Jack around, but also he didn't want to worry him more than necessary. He was probably going to be in and out in less than 15 minutes, and if he interrupted Jack's work because of a small nosebleed… 

But there was also the reasoning that if he didn't tell Jack now, chances were that someone would. Plenty of people saw him get to the infirmary. 

“Yeah, call him. Just… maybe call him to the lab and then bring him here?” Mac sounded like he was having a cold, trying to breathe through his mouth. 

“You are right. He'll probably freak out and barge in. I'll do just that. Go to the lab, call Jack. Jill, you got this.” 

Jill was out of the door and Mac was left alone with the doctor. 

She smiled at him and came around to face him. Mac already sat on the examination bed. 

“Now, what do we have here, Mac?” 

She carefully peeled off the tissue that had more blood on it than Mac anticipated. She carefully inspected his nostrils and gently padded at the droplets of blood that leaked around his nose. 

“I can't see if the cause is a tear or if something else was the trigger. Here, let me get this cotton ball to try and stop the bleeding. Lean forward, yep, that's it. Now pinch the bridge of your nose and hold. Breathe through your mouth.“

Mac knew he was lucky it was only one nostril bleeding, and did as the doctor instructed. 

“I'm sure you know how to treat a nosebleed by now. I am bound to say it anyway.” 

“It's okay. I don't mind.” Mac replied from his slightly crouched position. 

“That, and I usually do it because sometimes when we lose blood no matter how little the amount, our heads get a bit woozy and we can't focus at 100%.” 

“Good call.” 

They waited in silence and after ten minutes, the doc instructed Mac to pull the cotton ball. 

Mac had no idea what happened or where it all came from, but there was a wet splat when a huge chunk of clotted blood fell on the floor and blood left his nose in a rush. 

Mac instinctively breathed in, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to and then in a rush of breathing through his mouth as well he swallowed some of the blood. 

He watched as the warm, red liquid stained his pants, shoes and the linoleum floor as if he was watching from the outside. It felt surreal and as the doctor brought more tissues to staunch the bleeding, Mac started listing to his left. 

“Here, lie on the bed. Head to the side, not too backwards. I don’t want you to swallow more blood.” 

Mac was terrified.  _ What was going on?  _

…

Jack had just finished running TAC sims with Desi and their newest Phoenix recruits when his phone lit up with an incoming call. When Jack saw it was Jill, he didn't think too much of it. He picked up and Jill told him to come to the lab. 

At most Jack wondered if she saw Mac work on a project and forgot to take care of himself so she was probably calling the big guns, aka Jack. 

Jack hung his tac vest and quickly changed in the locker's room, strapped his gun to its holster, pulled his grey sweater over it and sauntered to the lab. 

Jill was waiting for him at Mac's usual working spot in the lab. She was wringing her hands and looking slightly anxious, as if she was afraid of Jack. 

_ Why would she be afraid of him? _

Jack shook his head and stepped up to where she was standing. 

“Hey, Jules, what's up?” 

Jill couldn't even muster an eye roll at Jack's obvious mistake. He liked nicknames and teasing the people he cared about, sue him. Besides, Jill was okay with it, after Jack took it on himself to explain to her that it was his modus operandi with names, and that it wasn't personal. The last thing Jack wanted was for someone to feel bad about him getting their name wrong. 

After that little talk where Jack explained himself and Jill fumbled her way around, telling Jack that she appreciated his honesty they maintained a good working relationship and friendship. Jill was smart as a whip and sharp as a tack and more competent than anyone gave her credit for. She may have looked like a nerd with the glasses, and she was definitely on the shy side, but Jack liked having her around. 

And the last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him. 

“Hey, Jill? You are starting to scare me. What's up?” 

She snapped her head up to meet Jack's eyes. 

“First of all, you need to know this was Mac's idea. The lab… I mean he is not here, he is in the infirmary, but told me you have to come here first or else you'll freak out.” 

Jack's brain stopped working for a hot second, hearing Mac was in the infirmary was a surefire way to send him into a spiral. But Jill was nervous and her breath hitched… 

“Jill, Jill, I need you to calm down. Breathe, honey. Yes, that's it. Nice and easy.” Jack spoke softly. The last thing he wanted was to spook her. 

“He had a nosebleed. I took him to the infirmary. I was worried. It's what you would have done as well, right?”

Pride swelled in Jack's heart. 

“That's right. You did good.” 

“He told me to call you and tell you to come here. Less freaking out than going directly to Medical.” 

Jack couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled out of him, and Jill gradually relaxed. Seeing Jack laughing probably put her at ease. Jack wouldn't laugh if he was worried out of his mind. 

(He totally was. Jill didn't have to know that). 

“Yeah, that sounds like Mac. Okay, lead the way.” 

They both headed for Medical, expecting to find Mac waiting for them in the hall, but it was empty save for the nurses. 

“When did you say this happened?” 

“I didn't.” Jill looked confused and spared a glance at her watch. “He's been there for almost half an hour now.” 

Jack's heart dropped to his heels. 

…

Mac couldn't tell how long he was bleeding like a gutted pig from his nose, but finally the flow subsided to a light trickle. The doctor cleaned the floor while they waited for the nosebleed to stop and all Mac was aware of was the blood. Blood on the floor, blood on his hands, on his face. 

_ Gosh, the stains on his new cream colored pants and the white Henley would be a bitch to remove _ , Mac mused as he watched in a trance-like state. 

The doc picked up some more tissues and she wet them before she cleaned his wrists, and unclasped his watch. His face was next and while Mac still felt out of sorts, at least he was cleaned up. 

“T-thanks.” he slowly started to come around just as the doc checked if the bleeding had stopped. 

“Welcome back. You checked out on me for a while there. The bleeding seems to have stopped. I'll have you lie on the bed for a bit more and then take your blood pressure, okay?” 

Mac nodded and immediately regretted it as it spiked a strong pain. 

“Headache?”

“Yeah. Definitely wasn't there before.”

“That could be from the pressure. Does it seem like it stopped?” 

Mac accepted the tissue the doctor gave him and replaced the bloody one with it. He dabbed at his nose and there wasn't any residual bleeding. 

“Yeah, I think it stopped.” 

“Good. I'll take your bp now. Meanwhile, take these. Vitamin C.” 

Mac popped the pills while Doctor Holman got the pressure cuff ready.

In the end his blood pressure was 100 over 160. 

“It is slightly high. Have you experienced any problems lately? Except the obvious things that come with injuries.” 

“No. Nothing.” 

“Okay. Nosebleed in and of itself is harmless. Sometimes it just happens for the blood vessels to tear on the inside. Like when we pick our noses or blow them too hard. Or like when someone punches you.” 

“So this could be nothing? Just a scare?” 

“Nosebleeds could also be indicators of some conditions. Hypertension is one of them. I'd like to run some tests, just to exclude anything that might turn out more serious. I'd also like you to monitor your blood pressure in the next few days.” 

“Okay. I think Jack will make sure of that.”

“That he will.” his partner's voice sounded as he and Jill entered the room. 

Mac would have rolled his eyes at Jack's entrance, but a) he had a headache, and b) Jack was a worrywart.

“Hey, big guy.” 

“Hey, h- holy shit, who did you murder? Pardon my French, doc.” 

Doctor Holman shook her head at Jack's words, but she was smiling, already used to him swearing.

Mac felt his cheeks heat up as Jack inspected him. He knew he was a mess and looked the part of a killer that got too much blood on himself. 

Jill squicked. “That was definitely not how I left him, Jack.”

“Yeah, this happened after.” 

Jack was immediately in front of Mac, inspecting for himself that Mac was okay. 

“I'm good. Head hurts a bit and I'm lightheaded, but I'll live.” 

“He will need to rest. No strenuous activities or anything time consuming or lifting heavy stuff for the day.” 

“I'll make sure he rests plenty.” 

…

And Jack made good on his promise. 

After he helped Mac to his car and promised Jill he'd call her with updates, he drove to Mac's house. 

The whole place was bright because it was mid-day and sunny, but Jack immediately went to close the curtains and offer some reprieve to Mac's eyes. He saw the kid squint all the way over and knew he was coming down with a headache. 

Jack parked Mac on the couch,  _ literally _ , as he rummaged around in cupboards and came up with painkillers and bottled water. 

Mac went willingly and sighed as he was propped against the couch end. He suddenly felt very weak and drained of energy, lucky to be home. 

He was sure that if he was standing, he would have fallen with how he could feel his legs wouldn't hold his weight. 

Mac lounged a bit as Jack rummaged in drawers. 

Finally Jack reemerged and approached Mac from the rear. 

“How about you take a shower, bud? It will relax you a bit and you get to clean up all that blood from you. Just remember, don't turn the water too hot.” 

Mac nodded, and let himself be helped, glad that Jack was there for support because he knew he had to take care of himself, but he wasn't inclined to move much. 

He showered carefully, not wanting to cause himself and Jack more scares. 

When he went to look for clothes, still towelling his hair, he saw that Jack already placed clothes on his bed and it was comforting and warm to know that he had someone like Jack in his life to just know what Mac needed and when. 

There was an assortment of clothes, more like layers Mac always wore because he was unable to retain body fat and he was constantly cold. And Jack knew that, so Mac really felt warm as he pulled on a tank top, a t-shirt, and one of Jack's softest hoodies that was at least a size too big on Mac, but Mac loved to steal it.  _ Occasionally _ . 

(Okay, it might have made it in Mac's wardrobe a long time ago, but no one made a fuss over it).

Mac joined Jack in the living room where there was a blanket and Jack waited expectantly with two cold compressions. 

Jack smiled at Mac's look and Mac grinned back at him. Jack was getting into mother hen mode and Mac knew that this wasn't the worst Jack could do. Jack was in a constant hovering mood when Mac got hurt and it put him at ease to take care of Mac. Mac let him because he learned that not always you had to need the comfort or ask for it. There were people that would do it willingly. 

Mac accepted the blanket and wrapped himself in it. He was shivering slightly, probably from the blood loss. But between the clothes and blanket, Mac was getting warmer and he sighed in relief. 

“You really scared me for a bit there.” Jack whispered after a while, Mac settled against his chest, resting his head on Jack's shoulder. 

“Yeah. Scared myself. It was… weird.”

“Weird how?” 

“Well for starters, I had the feeling it was happening to someone else. And then there was the blood. So much blood. It ain't like I haven't bled before, from the nose even, but it was the first in a long time that wasn't triggered by an injury. And it scared me.”

“I bet it did. What did the doc say besides rest?” 

“She is not sure about the cause. She says it's pretty common to get a nosebleed and it may not mean anything… My blood pressure was a bit high. She wants me to monitor that.” 

Jack tried to hide how worried he was, but Mac sensed it even under all the layers he was cocooned in. 

“I'm going to be fine, Jack.” 

“Yes, of course. But every time it happens… every time you wind up hurt, I am just… I worry. It's what I do best.” 

Mac moved a bit until he looked at Jack straight in the eye and held his gaze, trying not to squint because of the pulsing happening behind his eyes. 

“Mhm. My resident worrywart.”

“Is this supposed to be intimidating? You staring me down?” 

“Maybe. You worrying is just default. But you are so much more like that. Besides, your worrying has paid off in the past, and although I hate when you worry too much, I definitely don't mind that.” 

“Really?” Jack quirked an eyebrow. 

“Yes. Which also means that if you quote me on this… I'll deny it.” 

Mac winked and Jack laughed. 

“You know what was really weird,  _ weird _ ? The fact that I was bleeding, but all I could think of was the stained clothes. It was quite the trip.” 

“I'll bet.” 

Mac relaxed in Jack's embrace and after a while he felt his eyes closing. He wanted to stay awake and chat for a bit more, but he was drained before and now he just ached to crash and sleep for twelve hours straight. 

“It's okay, hoss. Go to sleep. I've got you.” 

“Thanks, Jack.” 

“Always, kid.” 

Mac let himself he pulled under by sleep, feeling warm and safe, cuddling with Jack and surrounded by warmth. He was relaxed, and although the events from today took a slightly bad turn with the bleeding, it was all well for the moment. And it was all that both of them needed. Anything else could wait till tomorrow. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
